Machine base



- Sept. 18, 1934. w. A. OKENFUSS MACHINE BASE Filed July 2, 1932 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 'TES HTED ST time ATENT OFFICE MACHINE BASE Application .luly 2, 1932, Serial No. 620,642

3 Qiaims.

My invention relates to a machine base for electric motors or similar machines or devices and particularly to a base which may be built up of structural metal shapes, whereby an inexpensive, rigid and durable construction is produced in lieu of the heavy, costly, and frangible cast metal bases now in common use.

in the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one form of base made in accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view; Figure 2 is an end view, a motor being shown in dotted lines; Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of one end of one of the cross bars; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of one end of the frame.

The side members of the frame are each formed of a length of Z-bar and comprises a bottom flange 1, a top flange 2, and a connecting web 3. Formed in the flanges 1 are holes 4 for the reception of the fastening means 5, such as bolts, lag screws or the like for securing the base in position on a floor, wall, ceiling or other support. Slots 6 are formed in the top flange 2 for the passage of bolts for securing the motor or other device to the base. These slots, like bolt holes 4, may be formed by punching.

The .side members are connected by spacing bars 7 which are preferably formed of channel iron, as shown, but may be made of angle iron, I-beam or other structural shapes. The spacing bars are welded to the lower faces of the flanges 2, as indicated at 8, and to the webs 3,

as indicated at 9, so as to produce a rigid and inexpensive structure.

Cross bars 10, preferably of angle iron, carry the bolts 11 for engaging with the frame 12 of the motor or other device to be supported by the base. These bolts pass through holes in the horizontal flange of the cross bar, which holes are so positioned with relation to the vertical flange of the bar that the latter will prevent rotation of the head 13 of the bolt.

To retain the bolts 11 in position in the cross.

bar, the vertical flange of the bar is sheared or slotted at each end to provide atongue 14 which may be bent laterally under the bolt head (best shown in Figure 5) after the bolt is positioned in the bar. Formed in the vertical flange of one of the cross bars is a threaded hole for the reception of the threaded end of an adjusting bolt 15, the other end of which passes through an aligning opening in the web of the adjacent spacing bar and is provided with a head 16 by means of which it may be rotated. The adjusting bolt is prevented from moving longitudinally with respect to the spacing bar by a collar 1'7 pinned or otherwise secured to the bolt inside the web of the bar, as shown in Figure 4.

The motor frame 12, or other machine to be supported on the base, is engaged by the bolts 11 and firmly locked to the side member by nuts 18. When it is desired to adjust the motor on the base, the nuts 18 are loosened sufliciently to permit sliding motion between the motor frame and the base and the adjusting screw is rotated until the proper amount of adjustment is secured to accomplish the desired result such, for example, as the tightening of a driving belt. After adjustment, the nuts are again tightened, firmly locking the motor to the side members which members thus sustain substantially all the strain imparted to the frame from the motor. The welded joints are thus protected and, being of considerable area, may be made sufficiently strong to resist any stress to which they may be subjected. Further, it will be seen that the base is not only inexpensive, being fabricated wholly from structural forms in common use with a minimum of manufacturing operations, but is light as well as rigid and strong.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of side rails, said rails being provided with longitudinal slots, spacing bars, cross bars each formed of angle iron and provided with bolt holes in one flange, the other flange being parted adjacent each bolt hole to provide a bendable tongue, and bolts positioned in said holes and projecting through the slots in the side rails to engage the frame of a machine, said tongue being bent over the heads of the bolts to retain them in position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of side rails each comprising a pair of oppositely disposed flanges and a connecting web, one of said flanges being provided with means for securing it to a support and the other beinglongitudinally slotted, spacing bars welded at each end to the web and to one flange of the abutting side rail, cross bars each formed of angle iron and provided with bolt holes in one flange, the other flange being parted adjacent each bolt hole to provide a bendable tongue, and bolts positioned in said holes and projecting through the slots in the side rails to engage the frame of a machine, said tongue being bent over the heads of the bolts to retain them in position.

3. In a machine base, a pair of side rails formed of Z-bars, a pair of spacing bars abutting against the inner faces of the vertical webs of said Z-bars and welded to both the vvertical and horizontal flanges thereof, a pair of cross bars extending below the upper flanges of the side rails, said cross bars each being formed 

